Will You Still Love Me?
by weirdgirl42
Summary: Booth/Brennan established. When Parker does something drastic, Bones and Booth must deal with the reason and the aftermath.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I owned Bones…well a lot of things would be different wouldn't they._

_Author's Note: This story takes place about eight years into the future. Brennan and Booth have been together for about that long. The rest will be explained throughout. _

_Content Warning: This fic deals with some disturbing theme. But you should know that most of my fics end up okay. You have been warned._

**Will You Still Love Me?**

Brennan straightened up from the examination platform and reached into her jacket pocket for her ringing phone. "Brennan," she said, brushing an errant strand of hair away from her eyes.

"T…Tempe?" came a shaky voice.

"Parker?" Brennan was surprised to hear her good-as step-son's voice. The fifteen year old had been distant and withdrawn lately.

"Tempe I screwed up."

Brennan felt her pulse begin to rise. "Parker what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"No. I took pills. A lot of them."

At this Brennan grabbed Angela, who was standing nearby with a drawing pad. "I need you to call the paramedics, send them to my house and take me home. Now."

"Oh my god, what's wrong?"

"Parker's OD'ing."

The two women ran off the platform and out the lab doors towards the garage. "Parker," Brennan said into the phone, "what did you take?"

"Dad's back medicine." His breathing was ragged.

"Vicodin," Brennan told Angela who was on the phone with the 911 dispatcher.

"And Dad's scotch," Parker added.

Brennan relayed the information to Angela as they drove full speed away from the Jeffersonian towards the small house she and Booth had moved into when Parker was ten and their daughter Daisy was almost a year.

"Tempe…" Parker's voice was jittery and soft.

"I'm here Parks. I need you to listen very carefully. Go into the bathroom and stick your finger down your throat until you vomit. Don't hang up. Put me on speaker phone." She listened as Parker followed her instruction and after a few moments she heard him gag and then throw up. "Good job sweetheart. Keep doing that until the paramedics arrive." She kept listening as he vomited several more times. She could hear him crying and coughing in-between. "I'm right here sweetheart. You're doing good."

"Tempe, I don't wanna die," she heard him half-sob.

"I know Parks. Hang on, we're almost there."

"Stuff's blurry."

"Just stay with me."

"I can hear sirens…" His voice trailed off and Brennan could hear him fall to the floor.

"Parker!" she called. When there was no answer she hung up the phone and hit Booth's speed dial. Her partner was spending the day at the zoo with their now six year old daughter. He picked up on the third ring.

"Hey Beautiful, miss me?"

"Booth you need to go to the hospital. GW. Call Rebecca and have her meet us there too."

"Jesus Bones, what happened? What's going on?"

"Parker tried to kill himself." There was silence on the other end. Brennan knew this would hit Booth hard. All the problems he and Parker had been having recently, she knew he was already blaming himself. "Seeley listen to me. You need to bring Daisy to the hospital. And you need to call Rebecca."

"Yeah," came the somewhat distracted response. "Okay. I'll be there in fifteen minutes." The line went dead.

Brennan and Angela had finally reached the house, where an ambulance and a fire truck were already parked. Brennan was out of the car before it had stopped. She met the paramedics in the entryway where they were bringing Parker out on a stretcher.

"Ma'am, you can't be here," one of the EMTs said.

"No, that's my so…my step-son." It wasn't completely true in the eyes of the law but it was true enough. She'd been living with his father for seven years and Parker had been with them for the majority of the time since he was ten. The EMT nodded and let her walk at Parker's side, his clammy hand clasped tightly in hers, as they loaded him into the ambulance. As Brennan climbed up beside him she vaguely heard Angela shout that she would follow them as the ambulance doors closed.

"He's unconscious but his breathing and pulse are good," the EMT told her. "From the looks of it, he threw up most of the pills and alcohol but they'll pump his stomach at the hospital to be sure."

Brennan nodded, her eyes never leaving Parker's face. He looked so pale, so young. She couldn't help but remember the day five years ago when he'd asked to come live with her and Booth, effectively switching the joint custody agreement around. She remembered how ecstatic Booth had been. Being able to have both his children in the house for the majority of the time was something that made him beyond happy.

As Brennan gently brushed Parker's hair away from his forehead she thought about the last few months. Parker had been steadily pulling away from both of them but especially from Booth. No more tossing the football around in the yard. No more hanging out, watching TV. No more early Sunday morning Mass. Booth had tried to talk to the boy about what was wrong, they knew Parker was being picked on at school and had offered to step in, but Parker just shook his head and locked himself in his room.

She knew it was illogical, but as she watched his brow furrow she thought he looked just like he used to as a small child in the throes of a nightmare. His eyes fluttered open and closed a few times before settling on her face. "Tempe?" he breathed.

"I'm here Parks." She gripped his hand tighter. "Everything's going to be okay." A part of her brain screamed at her to not make promises she couldn't keep, but a larger part told her that children sometimes needed to hear things that weren't completely true.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Tell Dad…" his eyes rolled back and closed again.

Brennan looked up at the EMT who had pulled back the boy's eye lids to shine a light on the pupils. "He's going to be in and out," the man told Brennan. "It's expected. But his pupils are responsive."

The ambulance pulled up to the hospital and they unloaded Parker, giving information to the ER doctors who arrived. Brennan could only watch helplessly as they wheeled her son through the doors. She didn't know how long she stood there before she felt Angela at her side.

"Wait for Booth," Brennan told her friend. "I'm going to go fill out the paperwork."

"Sweetie…"

"Angela please! I can't…I need to…please just wait for Booth." With that she passed through the sliding doors towards the intake desk, leaving Angela standing alone.

_tbc_

_please review_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Angela!"

Angela turned at the sound of her name being called. She saw Booth moving quickly towards her with a frightened-looking Daisy in his arms.

"Booth, thank god."

"Where is he?" Booth asked.

"The doctors are pumping his stomach. Brennan's in there filling out forms. Is Rebecca on her way?"

Booth shook his head. "She's in California for work. I left messages on her phone and with her office."

Angela nodded. Reaching out she took Daisy from him and held the little girl close. "You should get in there. Do you want me to bring Daisy to our place for the night?"

"Yeah would you?"

"No problem. Anything you guys need."

Booth leaned over and kissed his daughter's cheek. "Be good for Angela and Jack okay? Don't beat Aaron too badly at Connect Four."

Daisy smiled at the mention of Angela and Hodgins' six year old son's favorite board game.

"I love you Peanut," Booth added, grateful he had gotten a smile. Daisy worshipped her older brother and though she didn't really understand what was going on, she knew enough to know that Parker was very sick.

"I love you too Daddy."

With that, Booth turned and disappeared through the ER doors. He immediately located Brennan who was standing at the intake desk filling out a form on a clipboard. "Bones!" he called as he approached her.

Brennan turned and relief washed over her face. "Booth," she breathed.

Booth's arms were around her at once. "What happened?" he said. "Is he okay?"

"He called me. Said he'd taken your back pills and scotch. The EMT said it looked good. I made him throw up over the phone. But they had to pump his stomach. He said…he said he didn't want to die. God Seeley." She held her head against his chest and tried to keep control of her emotions.

Booth's reply was interrupted by an approaching doctor. "Mr. and Mrs. Booth?"

Neither Booth nor Brennan bothered to correct him. They just nodded, their eyes pleading for any information the man could give.

"I'm Dr. Taylor. Your son is stable. We pumped his stomach but it appears as though he threw up all the toxins before the paramedics arrived which is good. He's being admitted to the children's psychiatric ward. He'll have to stay for at least 48 hours to be evaluated. In cases like these, we have to make sure the patient isn't a danger to himself."

"Would it be possible for a friend of ours to do the evaluation?" Brennan asked. "He's a psychologist and Parker already trusts him." She looked over at Booth who nodded his assent.

"Sure," Dr. Taylor said. "You can give the nurses up there his information and they'll set it up."

"Can…can we see him?" Booth asked.

"Yeah of course," Taylor replied. "It's the third floor."

Booth and Brennan both shook his hand and thanked him before heading to the elevator bay.

"Did Angela take Daisy?" Brennan asked as they waited for the elevator to arrive.

"Yeah. I didn't want her to see him like this. It'd just scare her."

They boarded the elevator in silence. Brennan could almost feel the pain radiating off her partner. Reaching down she took his hand in hers and held it tightly. "It's not your fault Booth."

"He's my son. And he's been acting so strange. I should have known he was so unhappy. I mean, I knew something was wrong but he wouldn't talk about it. I should have forced him to tell me."

The elevator arrived on the third floor and the pair got off. But before they could go to the nurses' station Brennan pulled Booth back to her. "Parker made a choice Seeley," she said, looking up into his brown eyes which were blurred by unshed tears. "You couldn't have made him talk to you. We all knew something was wrong, all three of us. But sometimes kids think there's no way out. Parker realized there was a way out. He saved himself. All we can do now is be there for him and let him know we love him. You can't blame yourself and you can't blame Parker. It won't help."

"I know," Booth said, running a hand over his face and letting his shoulder sag. "I just…"

"You want to find the person responsible and punish them."

Booth couldn't help but smile at how well she knew him. After eleven years, seven of them spent together in every way possible, it was almost as though she knew him better than he knew himself. However illogical that statement was, he stood by it. He leaned forward and kissed her temple. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too. We'll get through this. We'll get Parker the help he needs. He wants to live Booth. That's the most important thing."

Booth nodded and they walked over to the nurses' station.

What Brennan didn't say, what she knew she couldn't tell him yet, was that she was beginning to suspect she knew the reason Parker had nearly taken his own life. The scientist inside of her was piecing together clues and observations and a theory was starting to form. There wasn't enough evidence to be conclusive yet. And if she was right, then the struggle their family was going to go through was not over by a long shot.

When they walked into Parker's hospital room, the boy was asleep. The doctor on the floor had informed them that Parker had been given a mild sedative and would probably sleep through the night. They sat together in the room for over an hour before they decided that Booth would stay the night and Brennan would head back home and bring Daisy to the hospital the next day.

Before she left, Brennan kissed Parker's forehead and whispered that she loved him. She gave Booth's hand one last squeeze and then left the room. She drove home in Booth's car. She wasn't used to the size of the SUV and that, mixed with her roller coaster emotions, made the drive even more uncomfortable. But she managed to keep her tears at bay until she got home and walked into the upstairs bathroom.

The smell of vomit and the evidence of what had happened only hours before brought forth all the stress and pain she had been keeping inside. She slid down the wall as sobs racked her body. It was a release she needed, and she was glad it hadn't happened in front of Booth or Daisy.

When she was out of tears to cry she stood and cleaned up the bathroom. Then she picked up the bag of clothes the hospital had taken off Parker and walked into the boy's room.

What she saw confirmed her suspicions as to what, at least in part, had caused Parker to do what he'd done. His backpack lay on the floor in the middle of the room. It had been filled with what looked like ketchup. And on the bright blue nylon, someone had written the word "FAG" in sharpie pen.

_tbc_

_please review_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The next morning Brennan picked Daisy up from Angela and Hodgins' place. The little girl started crying the minute she saw her mother. Brennan picked her up and held her tightly. Angela reported that Daisy had been upset the night before, and no amount of assurances from her favorite Uncle Jack could convince her that Parker was going to be okay.

"Sweetheart," Brennan said, kissing the side of Daisy's head as they stood in the doorway, "we're going to go see Parker right now. He's going to be fine. He just got…he just got hurt in his stomach. And he has to be in the hospital."

Daisy lay her head against Brennan's shoulder, fingering the necklace around her mother's neck. "Daddy was so scared."

"I know he was. So was I. Because we didn't know exactly what had happened. But we know Parker is going to be alright. He might be a little sad for a while. But I know that if you give him a big hug when you see him, it'll make him feel a lot better. He needs all of us to be there for him. Can you do that?"

Daisy nodded.

"That's my girl." Brennan turned to Angela who was watching the scene with tears in her eyes. "Thanks for taking her."

"It was no problem. She's always welcome. Can we come by the hospital later?"

Brennan bit her lip. "Maybe you should wait until tomorrow." At Angela's questioning look Brennan promised, "I'll come by later today and fill you guys in."

Angela nodded and watched them walk down the driveway towards the car.

Once at the hospital, Daisy held tightly to Brennan's hand as they made their way to the third floor. When she saw her father standing with Rebecca outside Parker's room, she dropped her mother's hand and ran to him. "Daddy!" she cried, jumping into his arms. The scene was nearly identical to when Brennan had arrived at Angela's.

"Hey Princess," he said. "I missed you."

With her head tucked into his neck she looked over at Parker's mother. "Hi Rebecca," she said.

"Hey there Daisy," Rebecca replied, obviously trying to keep it together for the sake of the little girl.

As Brennan joined the group, Booth set his daughter back on the ground and squatted down to her level. "How about we get some breakfast baby girl? Parker's still kinda tired. We gotta let him wake up some more before you can go jump on him."

"Okay," Daisy agreed.

Booth stood and looked over at Brennan. "You guys go," she said to him and Rebecca. Booth read her expression and knew she wanted a minute alone with Parker.

Leaning close to her he spoke softly, "He's awake, but he's not talking. Sweets will be here in a couple hours."

Brennan nodded, not quite able to meet his eyes. After the three other left for the cafeteria, she took a deep breath and opened the door to Parker's room. He was sitting in a chair by the window, staring out into the sunny day. Brennan put the bag of things she'd brought for him on the bed, walked over and kissed the top of his head. Parker didn't respond, but he didn't pull away either. Brennan sat down in the chair across from him.

"Parker I know you don't feel like talking, and that's fine. But I need to ask you some things. So if you could just nod or shake your head in response, that would be good. Can you do that?"

Parker did nothing at first. But then he slowly nodded.

"Okay. Do you remember that time you lost your brand new winter hat? When you were about ten or eleven?"

Parker looked over at her for the first time, clearly surprised by the question, and nodded.

"You told me and your Dad that if we got you another one, you promised you wouldn't lose it. Do you remember what I told you?"

Parker nodded. He remembered the conversation as though it had just happened. She had told him to never make promises he couldn't keep. That, too often, people threw promises around until they lost all meaning. It was advice he had taken to heart and tried his best to follow.

"Good," said Brennan. "Now I want you to think about this next question. Have I ever broken a promise to you?"

His brow furrowed. It seemed a ridiculous question. Everyone broke promises. But then he began to think about it. She made promises rarely. She said it was foolish to be completely convinced of the outcome of a situation. The few promises he could remember; that there were no monsters under his bed because monsters didn't exist, that she would always take a call from him if it was physically possible for her to, that Daisy being born wouldn't make him any less important to her, all these promises had been dutifully kept.

"No," he said. If his speaking surprised her she didn't show it. "No, you never have."

"Okay," replied Brennan. Then she reached over and placed her hand over his. "Parker I promise that there is nothing you could ever do, say, or be, that would make me stop loving you or make me care about you any less."

Parker choked back a sob.

"Nothing," repeated Brennan. "You, Parker Booth, are almost certainly the only son I will ever have. I would do anything to protect you, from anyone. And I promise you, that can't ever change. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Parker said through the tears that had begun to fall.

"Do you believe me?"

"Yes."

"Parker…are you gay?"

Parker sobbed outright this time, covering his face with the hand that wasn't clasped in hers. "Yes," he said.

"Did you try to kill yourself because you thought you couldn't tell us? Because of what was going on at school?"

"Yes."

At once, Brennan had pulled them both out of the chairs and wrapped her arms tightly around him. He cried into her shoulder like a small child. The relief at finally saying it out loud felt like hundreds of pounds had been lifted off him.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Brennan said, pulling back to look him in the eye. "But I wish you had told me what was happening at school. I saw your backpack Parks. And when you're out of here, we're going to deal with the administration. If you want, you can start over at a new school."

Parker nodded.

"But that's for later," said Brennan. "For right now, I want you to know that I love you. And that this changes nothing except for the gender of people you will one day bring home."

Parker hugged her again. "What about my mom and dad?" he asked when they finally pulled apart. "Well, not my mom, she isn't going to be too bad. But what about Dad? He's going to disown me. Kick me out. Probably make me go to a deprogramming camp. Don't you get it? God hates me. So he will too." He turned away from her and sat down. "I shouldn't have called you. Would have been better off."

Brennan knelt down beside him. "I never want to hear you say that again," she told him, her voice leaving no room for argument. Parker knew that voice. But instead of making him feel small, as it did when she was scolding him, it made him feel loved, protected. "No one would be better off if you were dead. We would have been lost. And no matter what his reaction might be, your father loves you more than anything. But if you want, I'll tell him. And I'll make it clear to him that none of the scenarios you posited are an option if he wants to remain a part of your life."

"Really? You'd do that?"

"I said I'd protect you from anyone. That included your father."

"Thank you Tempe."

"You're my son. No matter what the government or our genetics might say. I don't ever want to see you hurt." She leaned up and kissed his head. "Is it okay for me to send Daisy in here? She's really worried about you."

"Does she know what I…what I tried to…"

"No, she just knows you're sick."

"Okay. Good."

Brennan stood up. "I brought you some things from home," she said, indicating the bag. "Sweets is going to be here in a while. You have to talk to him if you want to get out of here."

"I will," Parker agreed.

Brennan nodded. "I love you Parker," she told him yet again. "It's going to be okay."

When she left the room she was just in time to see Booth, Rebecca, and Daisy get off the elevator. "Parker wants to see you," Brennan told her daughter.

Daisy dropped her father's hand and bolted for the still open door, leaving the adults alone. Once inside Parker's room, however, she paused. Parker looked up from his chair as she walked in and smiled. "Hey Daisy," he said.

"Hi," she replied, so softly he almost didn't hear it.

Parker felt a pang of guilt at the fear written across her face. "It's okay," he assured her, "I'm okay. Get over here." He opened his arms and she ran and jumped into his lap. He held on to her, letting the feeling of calm that only his little sister could provide wash over him.

"Are you going to go away forever like Grandpa?" she asked, laying her head against his chest.

"What?" Parker said, not understanding. But then realization dawned on him. The last time they had been in this hospital was when their grandpa Max had died suddenly of a heart attack the year before. "No. I'm not going to go away forever."

"You promise?"

This time Parker paused, remembering the conversation with Brennan. "Daisy everyone eventually has to go away forever. It's just a part of life. But I promise that I will try as hard as I possibly can not to go away for a long, long time."

"Okay," Daisy said, satisfied with his answer.

"Hey," he said, changing the subject, "the TV has cable. Isn't that monkey show you like on Animal Planet on soon?"

"Parker!" Daisy whined, "They're apes, not monkeys."

Parker laughed for the first time in days. "My apologies Dr. Dandelion," he said, using the pet name he'd given her when she first learned to talk and started spouting off facts not unlike her mother.

Daisy smacked his arm playfully. Parker stood up and placed her on the bed. He turned on the TV and climbed up beside her. She snuggled into his side and he wrapped his arm around her.

"I'm glad you're okay Parker," Daisy said.

"Me too," Parker replied. He was a little surprised to realize it was the truth.

_tbc_

_please review_


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: The story the priest tells, I got it from the west wing episode "take this Sabbath day." Also, this chapter turned out a little cheesier than I had originally planned. But I guess that sometimes happens. This will be the last chapter before the epilogue. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 4**

Outside the hospital room Brennan faced Booth and Rebecca. "I talked to Parker," she began.

"What did he say?" Rebecca asked.

"He didn't say a lot. Last night I'd thought I'd figured out why he did what he did. And today I asked him about it. He confirmed my theory."

"Bones enough with the squint talk," Booth said. "What's going on?"

"Parker's gay," she said without any further stalling. "He's been getting harassed at school. He was convinced wouldn't accept him. So he tried to take his own life."

Rebecca's hand flew to her face. "Oh my god." She turned towards Booth who had yet to move. "I need to…can I…I need to go talk to him. Tell him it's okay. I can't believe he…and the school."

"I told him we would deal with school when he was better," Brennan told her. " We can talk about that later. You should go see him. But please, don't say anything to confuse Daisy. We'll talk about it with her later."

Rebecca nodded and made her way into Parker's room where the siblings were watching TV.

Brennan turned back to Booth. "Seeley?" she said. When he said nothing she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Seeley a part of you had to know. Had to at least suspect."

Booth shook his head. "No. No my son is not gay. It's not possible."

"One in ten men are gay Booth. Of course it's possible. And it's also true."

"No it's not," he began to move towards Parker's room but was stopped when Brennan stepped in front of him. "Bones move, I need to see him."

"Not like this. Not until you've thought about it."

"You can't stop me from seeing my son."

"He's my son too!" Brennan replied with a fierceness he knew all too well. "I love my children more than anything. I know you do too. Which is why I will not let you go in there and mess with his head. And so help me Seeley, if you can't figure out how to deal with this, or if you decide you have more faith in an outdated book written by men, not god, than you do in your own son I will advise Rebecca to sue for sole custody and I will testify on her behalf."

For a moment they just stared at each other. Then Booth's shoulders sagged and he looked down at the floor. Brennan ran a hand through his hair. "Go take a walk. Come back when you've made a decision."

Booth nodded and walked towards the elevators, not sure where he was heading. He walked on autopilot for a while. His head was filled with thoughts and memories. Memories of Parker as a little boy. Memories of his childhood priest encouraging them to point out and humiliate "sodomite sinners." Memories of the past few weeks as Parker grew more and more distant.

Eventually he found himself at the hospital chapel. It wasn't a Catholic chapel, had to be non-denominational to serve everyone, but it was good enough. He crossed himself and sat down. He didn't even know how to begin to pray. He didn't know what he was feeling. After a few moments, or maybe it was an hour, he felt a presence next to him.

"This may seem like a stupid question, but are you alright?" came the voice.

Booth looked up and saw a man sitting next to him. He had on a priest's collar but no robes. "Excuse me Father…?"

"Oh yes, I'm Father Thomas. I'm a chaplain here."

"Seeley Booth." They shook hands.

"I see a lot of people sitting in here just like you," Father Thomas said. " Looking for answers. I saw you cross yourself before so I thought maybe I could be of assistance."

"I don't think so Father."

"Oh come now. What good is a hospital chaplain if he can't offer comfort to someone so obviously in need? Try me."

Booth stared at his folded hands. "My son tried to kill himself."

"I'm very sorry. And I'm very glad he didn't succeed."

"He did it because he's gay. Because he's having a rough time at school. And because…because he thought I wouldn't accept him."

"I see. Was he right?"

Booth sighed. "No. Maybe. I don't know." He leaned back and the words began pouring out of him. "I was always taught that it was wrong. That you go to hell, no questions. But then when I was in the army, a good buddy of mine was thrown out cause they caught him with another man. And my friend was a good man. So I prayed to God for answers. When I got back from my tour, my aunt told me she was gay. She had always been my favorite aunt and I had always known deep down something was different about her. My partner says that even if I want to believe in God, to believe that the bible is his unchangeable word is…well not rational is how she would put it. I keep praying Father. I've been praying my whole adult life. And I still don't know if this means my son, my perfect little boy, is going to hell." He leaned forward and put his head in his hands.

Father Thomas put a hand on his shoulder. "Son have you heard the story of the man and the flood?"

Booth looked up. "Noah?"

The priest laughed. "No, no. A much more recent parable I'm afraid. There's a man, and he hears a radio report that his little town is expecting a huge flood. The report encourages everyone to evacuate their homes. The man says, 'I am a devout man. I will pray for God to help me and He will.' The next day a neighbor comes by with a truck and asks the man to get in and get to safety. The man says, 'I am a devout man. I will pray for God to help me and He will.' The waters rise so high that the man is trapped on the roof of his house. A rescue crew comes by in a boat and wants to rescue him. But the man says, 'I am a devout man. I will pray for God to help me and He will.' So the man eventually drowns."

Booth listened intently, his eyes never leaving the priest's face.

"The man gets to Heaven and walks up to St. Peter and demands an explanation. 'Why,' he says, 'were my prayers unanswered?' St. Peter looks at him and replies, 'God sent you a radio report, a neighbor, and a rescue crew. What more did you want?'"

Booth wiped at the tears which were forming in his eyes.

"Don't you see Son," Father Thomas said, "God sent you an Army friend, a beloved aunt, and a wonderful son whom you love very much. What more do you want from Him?"

There were no words Booth could think of to respond. Father Thomas seemed to understand. He smiled and patted Booth's shoulder again before standing up and leaving the chapel. Booth sat there for a while longer, feeling a sense of peace begin to overtake him. It was the peace of a lost child who discovered that their father had been searching for them after all. Making his way back up to the third floor he let the tears fall down his face without reaching to brush them away. They were cleansing tears.

Once he reached the room, his tears had stopped. He walked in to find his family and Rebecca all watching TV. Brennan looked up as he walked in and saw the calmness in his eyes. Reaching over she lifted Daisy off the bed and told Parker they would be back later, after Sweets came. Rebecca also understood Booth's unspoken plea and told Parker she'd be back the next day. When the room was clear, father and son said nothing. Parker met his father's gaze and seemed to tighten his shoulders, waiting for whatever might come.

Booth crossed the room, pulled Parker to his feet, and engulfed the boy in his arms.

"I'm sorry Dad," Parker said.

"No Parker. I'm sorry. I'm sorry you thought you couldn't tell me. I love you so much. No matter what. You and Daisy and Bones, you guys are the whole world. And you're not allowed to try and take yourself out of it again, you got me?"

"Yeah," Parker replied with a small chuckle. "Dad?"

Booth pulled back. "What?"

"Does God still love me?"

Booth felt his heart shatter. He put a hand to Parker's face. "Yeah Bub," he answered, using the nickname he hadn't used in years. "What's not to love?"

The End (except for an epilogue)

_just to restate, I know the story is from west wing and probably other places. _

_please review_


End file.
